Yes, you did, and I saw you.
I was driving along East Girard Avenue in Fishtown with the kid and two friends when I stopped at a red light. To my right was an outdoor restaurant, which is now a common sight in the Philadelphia area – not my thang, but more power to the people who don’t mind outdoor eating while public transportation (trolleys & buses) and regular traffic seasons their meals with dust and fumes.
As I’m waiting, I see a woman sitting at a table with a gentleman and a dog. I then see the woman feed the dog with the fork that the restaurant loaned her for her meal. After feeding the dog, she poked the food in her plate and proceeded to eat – off the same fork she just fed the dog with! Now, I love animals just as much as the next human being, but I’ll be doggone if I knowingly eat with the same utensil I just fed my dog with!
“Oh my god! Did y’all see that?” I asked my passengers.
“Yup, I saw it,” says my gal pal, Jules.
Now, there were two things that crossed my mind as I watched the woman continue to eat as if it were a normal thing: 1) “Eew, that’s nasty” and 2) Even though the dog-fed-utensil will be washed and cleaned, some unsuspecting patron will use that same fork.
As a result, that particular restaurant lost a car full of potential customers because of what two had witnessed.
Why do folks do certain things – and in public? Did the woman not care who would use that fork after her and the dog? Suppose the dog just licked his butt? Or sniffed a cigarette butt with nasty saliva on it thrown away by some degenerate (gonna end up “butt” anyway). Did it not faze her on how others viewed her actions? I doubt she gave a damn for real. Isn’t feeding your animal with human utensils something you do in the privacy of your home? Is that similar to breast feeding in public – folks look at you like you’re crazy? Did the thought cross her mind that the restaurant could (and did) lose potential customers and revenue? Aren’t we a selfish society? I don’t care what anyone thinks, it’s my dog and I’ll feed him when and where I please! Eff y’all!
So, listen here, lady – do not feed your pet in public with utensils intended for human usage! Whether you did (I highly doubt it) or did not take your own fork to the restaurant, do not assume that everybody else did the same. I saw you feed your dog with that fork! I don’t know if you took it from your home, but I know what I saw, and it turned me off from ever visiting that establishment. Everyone is not as comfortable as you are with your style of dog feeding, which brings something else to mind – it doesn’t matter if you dine in fine high end establishments, air polluted sidewalk cafes, or even the reasonably priced buffets, we’re all susceptible to the dangers and bad habits of others. We take chances on the food we consume if we didn’t prepare it ourselves, the dishes our food are placed on and the utensils we put in our mouths.
I enjoy eating out and look forward to doing so. I try to take the kid to a different restaurant every time I get paid, so with that in mind, I should feel at ease with the service I’m paying for. My thoughts shouldn’t be consumed with wondering if the family pet ate off my plate or licked my fork.
That’s my food for thought – what’s yours?
Take your own plastic ware when dining out….
writing is my thang 